Ralph Brown Expedition Award Grant

Ralph Brown Expedition Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Royal Geographical Society
Amount: £12,500
Last Updated: October 08, 2025

Summary

The Ralph Brown Expedition Award, valued at £12,500, supports experienced researchers conducting aquatic research expeditions, focusing on coral reefs, rivers, lakes, and shallow seas. Established in memory of Ralph Brown, the award emphasizes projects that benefit both the host country and local communities. Since its inception in 1998, it has funded various initiatives worldwide, highlighting the importance of sustainable interaction with aquatic environments and fostering local engagement in research efforts.

Overview

About the Award The Ralph Brown Expedition Award is a single annual award of £12,500, offered to an experienced researcher leading a research expedition working in an aquatic environment. This includes the study of coral reefs, rivers, lakes and shallow seas. The project should be of value to the host country and, where possible, to the local community. The award has been established in memory of Ralph Brown; a Californian who lived much of his life in New Zealand. He took part in expeditions and was a keen advocate of the use of jet boats to navigate inaccessible and dangerous rivers. Brown died in 1996, shortly after winning the World Jet Boat Championship in Canada. He bequeathed a portion of his estate to RGS-IBG to fund both the Award and the Grants Officer at the Society. The Ralph Brown Award has supported projects since 1998, ranging from the wetlands of Ukraine to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, from coral reef studies to mountain river hazard surveys, and studies of human interaction with waterways.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The grant is open to applicants from any nation.Applicants must be Fellows or Members of the Society. You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. The applicant must be a fellow or member of the RGS-IBG and may be from any nation.